1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a folding cup holder attached to an interior of a passenger compartment in an automobile, and more particularly to a folding cup holder having a structure which does not easily break even when an accidental external force is applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of equipment such as a cup holder are mounted to the interior of the passenger compartment in an automobile for the convenience of the passenger. There are cup holders which are built into the interior, however, there is proposed cup holders of an add-on type. The add-on type cup holder is proposed as a folding structure, which does not obstruct the passenger when it is not in use.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-278652 shows such an art of the folding cup holder as mentioned above. This folding cup holder is structured such that the folding cup holder is fixed to a wall surface or the like of the interior, can be folded compactly when not being used, and can be expanded forward at a time of use. When the cup holder expands forward, a holder arm holding the cup is apart from the wall surface, so that there is a feature that the cup can be easily put in and removed.
According to the folding cup holder mentioned above, it is necessary to make the holder arm and the structure for supporting the holder arm narrow and small, for the purpose of achieving both of matters that the cup holder can be folded compactly and the cup holder can be expanded largely. Accordingly, it is hard to particularly structure the holder arm so as to stand against the external force, and there is a risk that the holder arm is broken in the case that an accidental external force is applied in a state in which the cup holder is expanded.
The present invention is made in view of the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a folding cup holder having a structure which is not easily broken even when an accidental external force is applied.
According to the present invention, the folding cup holder is provided with a base plate; a pair of first arms each having proximal end portion pivotally supported to the base plate; a pair of second arms each including a resilient latch portion and having proximal end portion pivotally supported to the base plate; and a holder arm including a pair of engagement portions at both ends thereof and pivotally supported to the distal ends of the first arms and the distal ends of the second arms in differential axes. The engagement portions are engaged with the latch portions so that the holder arm is kept in an expanded state. The latch portions are resilient so that the engagement portions are allowed to override the resilient latch portions, thereby the holder arm is released when an excessive force is applied to the holder arm.
Since the holder arm holding the cup is pivotally supported on the differential axes of the first and second arms, the holder arm can be compactly folded up along the base plate when they are not used, and can be largely expanded forward when they are used. Further, since the flexible latch portions are employed for the purpose of keeping the expanded state mentioned above, they are released so that the holder arm can be free to swing downward when the accidental external force is applied. Thereby it is possible to prevent the holder arm from being broken.
Preferably, the latch portions and the engagement portions are disposed near the shafts of the holder arm and the second arms. Accordingly, in the case that the holder arm is not moved greatly even when external force is applied, an engagement between the latch portions and the engagement portions can not be cancelled.
More preferably, the holder arm and the second arms are provided with two pairs of pivots and bearings, each pivot including a key and each bearing including a keyway, and the keys and the keyways are not aligned to fit to each other at a position in a stare in which the holder arm is expanded so that the pivots are prevented from displacing from the bearings. Accordingly, when accidental external force is applied to the holder arm, the pivots are prevented from displacing from the bearings in a state where the holder arm is expanded.
A relationship between the holder arm and the first and second arms is further preferably set so that the holder arm is disposed on the outer side of the second arm and on the inner side of the first arm. Accordingly, since the first and second arms restrict deformation of the holder arm when a force is applied thereto, it is possible to prevent the shafts from displacing due to the deformation.
Further preferably, the first and second arms are provided with yoke portions therebetween in an integral manner, respectively. Since the first and second arms are reinforced in a width direction, it is possible to more securely prevent the deformation.